Lumiere and Babette: Fighting Fear
by AvaBond
Summary: Lumiere is taking an interest in Babette, but she is fearful of the pain that may come with him. Not too long, may have a sequel if all goes well! First story published, please excuse anything minor.
1. Chapter 1

He had always been quite the pick-up artist. With a single compliment in that rich French accent, a girl would be overcome by rouge cheeks and flattery in a heartbeat. His long lean figure dressed lavishly, but he was the opposite of Cogsworth, uptight and nervous. As _maitre d'_, of course he had an obligation to maintain respect. However, his charm was such an indescribable appeal to every women working in the castle and jealousy factor for every male that he didn't even attempt to be respectable; he already was without trying.

Being able to be with any women he wanted was a blessing indeed. Any expression of admiration from he won over each and every women he spoke to. He was quite experienced in the field of romance and knew every single trick in the book. He had the ability to share a night with anyone he craved.

This was the first time something would change.

A new maid was a common sight amoung the castle; the master was getting rather impatient recently and demanded more workers whenever something was not immediately done. Yet this new maid was a vision to behold. Upon exiting the horse and carriage she arrived in, one bare leg landed gently on the ground, a black court shoe cradling the slender foot on the ground. Another leg slipped out and she stood up, revealing a creature of sensuality and lascivious that none in the castle could ever compare to. She was dressed in a short black dress with a pressed white apron accentuating her petite waist. Her lips were full and scarlet. Her eyes were a pressing amber, exuding beauty that could nearly be considered lust. She walked flawlessly to the vast front door with a large suitcase in hand. He rushed back from the window as to avoid her eye contact; their relationship could be destroyed if she knew he was longingly gazing at her.

She tapped on the door thrice. He waited a few moments as to not seem anxious and then opened the door.

"_Enchante, mademoiselle_. I'm afraid that I have not had the pleasure of ever acquanting you before," He knelt onto one knee and kissed her hand in his. He looked up into her eyes. "But I would like to. I am Lumiere, and you?"

"Babette," She answered with a slight smile. Lumiere grinned; she had the same refreshing accent as he, and it was quite a pain to listen to British voices every day.

"Babette, Babette. I'll remember that."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I would never be able to forget the title of such an enchanting creature as yourself."

Babette knew the sort of man Lumiere was the moment he opened the door. He was a charmer, and an impressive one at that. But she had been with so many men previously, _so_ many men. He was just like every other man, perhaps a bit more handsome and charming, but nevertheless the same. She thought back to those terrible memories before she arrived at the castle. Nights to weeks to months to even years spent with different men who all, in the end, did not care about her. They merely wanted arm-candy, just a fancy toy that they would eventually throw away. No man she had ever met had been serious about a relationship and commitment. Ogling and sex was the essence of those past relationships on the man's part, while Babette yearned for romance and commitment. Feasibly, her appearance was an unfortunate factor in this situation. Babette could not help the obvious sensuality of herself and embraced it, but it only attracted rotten men. And clearly, Lumiere was attracted, henceforth fell into that category.

"Babette, may I escort you to your new home?" Lumiere asked, standing up a near head above her.

She nodded in response, trying her best not to reveal any effect of his flattery on her. As of the current moment, he was nothing but yet another of those cruel men. She refused to let herself be hurt again.

Lumiere led the way up a grand staircase and east. "All of the servants here reside in the East Wing. The master's room is located opposite in the West Wing. It'd be best one didn't venture there; he has been a bit… erratic, to say the least." He continued walking, expecting some sort of swooning or at least response from Babette, but he received nothing. He stopped and faced her. "_Ma cherie,_ you cannot not speak forever. That will not work out that well in a castle like this."

"I apologize; I just have nothing to say."

"Ah, but it is impossible for one wandering such a grand castle for the first time to truly not have anything to say!"

"I suppose that makes me a first."

"In more then one way, _mademoiselle_." Lumiere muttered under his breath, exasperated at his failed attempts to win her over. He began walking again, and Babette followed suit, a small smirk growing on her face. This was going quite splendidly. He was already frustrated with her! Perhaps he would stick around.

Suddenly, a stout man scuttled down the hallway. He looked older than Lumiere and very hurried. His appearance had an air of something very proper, especially with his curly moustache. He rushed up to Lumiere, panting heavily.

"Lumiere, you must come to the master immediately! He is throwing quite the-the fit, you see. He wants dinner and you _must_ come help calm him down! It is ridiculous—" He paused. "Are you another new maid?"

"If that is our title here, then yes. My name is Babette."

"Cogsworth, head of the household." He quickly bowed. "Majordomo. The sort. Now, Lumiere, we must go now!"

"Oh, Cogsworth—"

"Do not fret about your new maid here; she isn't going anywhere."

_So I was wrong,_ thought Babette. _It's true; he really is just like those others._

"Your room is right here." Lumiere motioned to the door on his right and kissed her hand once again. "Until again, _ma cherie_ Babette. Until again."

Cogsworth scurried down the hallway, Lumiere in hand.

Babette could not allow herself the pain that was most assuredly guaranteed to come along with Lumiere's love. She opened the door of the room with an empty mind and heart. The room had three inviting beds, two with piled up blankets and obviously occupied. Babette placed her small bag on top of the free bed by the wall. Heaving a deep sigh, she realized she could not even attempt thinking of something other than that intriguing young man. But she mustn't. Stirring up trouble on her first day would leave her with a rather destroyed life in the castle.

Still… that Lumiere seemed like he might be different. Just maybe.

(Just reread this after a few days and wish I did a lot different. It is really short and rashly written/published. All other chapters will be longer and I promise I'll edit them better! By the way, next chapter won't be out for a bit. I'm currently in Beauty And The Beast as Babette and it's show week! Super busy, so sorry. Thanks for reading!)


	2. Chapter 2

"Lumiere, you truly must hurry up! The master is going to explode if we do not get there immediately!" Cogsworth cried. His vexed footsteps quickened, but still walked with that odd uptight, proper taste that only Cogsworth could accomlish. He pulled a perfectly buffed pocket watch of a shining bronze shade and hurriedly looked at the time.

"We do not need to make haste, Cogsworth. We are not pressed for time. Besides, the master needs time to cool himself down. Surely a man of your high position knows this," Lumiere responded nonchalantly, walking at a pace much slower than Cogsworth's brisk trot.

Cogsworth snapped around face-to-face with Lumiere and spoke quickly. "Enough, enough. We both know well enough you only want an excuse to be with that new maid of yours. Simone, correct?"

"_Non,_ she arrived yesterday."

"Pardon. Michelle, then?"

"_Non, non._"

"Veronique?"

"_Mon Dieu,_ Cogsworth, her name is Babette… Such a lovely name, isn't it?"

"I am absolutely positive you are not thinking about her name."

Lumiere raised his eyebrows, smiling.

"Lumiere, there is a new maid arriving here nearly everyday. Please, for your own sake, don't even attempt making one special. That will be just disasterous."

He delivered his stubborn answer with a single look.

"Can you even imagine all your past… 'lovers'' reactions? You would be lucky to survive a single day with all of those women if you really made this Babette your only… For once, think this over, will you?"

His response was a pressing obstinate silence.

"Well, now, we really must go."

Cogsworth resumed his fleeting scuttle down the corridor. Lumiere followed, but not quite suit.

"Cogsworth… May you enlighten me with your past experience with women?"

"Why do I get the feeling you purposely bother me?" He droned.

"Because, _mon ami_, I do. Trust me. Babette is something special. She is quite different than the other maids around here."

Cogsworth released a small chortle.

Lumiere rolled his eyes. "I am not talking about her appearance, however delightful that is." He smirked. "Her resistance to me, it only pulls me in closer."

"Have you thought that perhaps she is not 'teasing' you? That perhaps she actually is not interested?"

He paused before answering. "_Non_, I haven't. And I'm not planning on it."

Quickening his pace, Cogsworth heaved a sigh. "Well, if anything, do NOT bring this us to the master. It will be our necks if he thinks we put ourselves before him!"

"Is it just me, or has the prince's temper been running a little short lately?" Lumiere asked, obviously changing the topic.

"It is most definitely not you. He is only thirteen, and such a high-strung lad! Of course, he has been through a difficult childhood being raised an orphan with only his servants with him. Still, in all my years, I have not encountered such a irritable child." Cogsworth said briskly. He pulled out his pocketwatch yet again, but this time hesitated to open it.

"Considering your age, that must be quite the impressive feat."

"Hush, you."

Babette stood frozen in the hallway watching Cogsworth hastily make his way to the West Wing and Lumiere follow with blithe unconcern. The way he could do anything carelessly and still look handsome doing it was an indescribable gift. But, she could not let herself get burned by him. She just could not. Even if he was special. Additionally, he was a mere servant, just as she. She could avoid him rather easily just by simply not cleaning rooms where he was. Another advantage was that seeing him less would make it easier to resist. And, _Bon Dieu,_ was that a challenge.

"So, Lumiere has got your eye?" Babette heard an voice say. She turned around to face another maid. She looked young, but not as young as she was at 18, and to Babette's dismay, gorgeous. "Well, you surely aren't the first," She twisted a copper ringlet of hair around her finger, smiling, and added in her slight French accent, "And most certainly not the last."

Babette felt herself get tense. She could not deny being intimidated by this girl. Her looks were terribly attractive, to say the least.

Unfortunately for Babette, she could not find any desirable trait in herself but her sheer beauty and knack for appealing to nearly all men. The confidence in their self-image so many women lacked she had, but was deprived of any other form of confidence. She depended on her appearance for everything. This left her in ruins many unfortunate times, all with those vain men. And being questioned as to her title of reigning beauty was degrading. She loses her confidence at times like these, which is most afflicting when facing someone with the reputation the maid Babette was encountering had.

Feeling more starched than piece of clothing she had ever stiffened, her blood felt as if it stopped pumping. Babette tautly froze, well aware of the maid's beady eyes examining her.

"What is your name?"

"Babette."

"I am Veronique, pleased to make your acquaintance…" She responded absentmindedly. "Truly a pleasure," She sputtered. "You're new here, correct?"

Babette nodded.

"I could tell. You can always tell the difference between new maids and those that belong."

"_Excuse-moi?_"

"What I mean to say is, you don't belong here yet. It is almost like a… initiation."

"To do what?"

Veronique laughed a nasal chortle, as if Babette should already know this. "To be infatuated with Lumiere, of course! All the maids here do it. Eventually, you get convinced he likes you back and then you come to that tragic realization that he is in fact in love with another." She made a melodramatic pause. "And that other is me."

"Huh?"

"Yes, Lumiere and I have been sharing our love... well, I suppose it must be months by now." She smirked her red lips. "And honestly, it is a game with the other women he charms. He does not care." She stated slowly, allowing the hurtful words to seep deep inside Babette.

"Well, it's been a pleasure. A true pleasure."

Before giving her a chance to respond, Veronique strutted down the corridor, leaving Babette frozen with overwhelming confusion.

Immediately interrupting her thoughts before they began, a middle-aged lady bumped into Babette. She was short and stout, with pink cheeks and a reassuring smile. It was something Babette had never quite encountered before, so the feeling she got upon seeing her was extremely soothing. The lady was pushing along a bright silver cart with a wide assortment of treats surrounding a round teapot.

"Are you alright, dearie? You look a bit shaken," She asked. Her face displayed real concern, almost as if she were one of her own children. At least Babette now knew one person she had no doubts in. "You're new, aren't you?"

"Is it truly that obvious?" Babette pondered sheepishly.

"Just a bit, dearie." She replied in a bubbly British accent. "Oh, I apologize! I'm afraid I haven't gotten your name!"

"I'm Babette."

"Hello, Babette. I'm Mrs. Potts. Was that Veronique you were just speaking with?"

Babette nodded.

Mrs. Potts shook her head slowly. "She takes things a bit seriously, don't mind her."

A brief moment passed. _Well, I have done exactly that…_ Babette thought.

"Well, I must go; the master is in a terrible mood today. Care for a snack?" She asked, widely beaming at Babette.

"No, thank you, though."

"Good-bye, dear. We'll get better acquainted later."

And she was gone.

Thousands of opposing feelings were being crammed into Babette's mind. Worry, confusion, lack of trust, happiness, calmness, distress, interest… She wished them all to just float away, like dust she could merely sweep away with a flick of a feather duster. Yet, of course. Life could never be as simple as a stick covered in feathers.

_A/N: Wow, it's been forever! I'm so sorry I've waited so long before posting this second chapter. I was just Babette in Beauty and The Beast, and it was show week, but that was almost two months ago! It's a terrible excuse, but that's where my busy-ness began. I've been overloaded with schoolwork and I haven't gotten to write for fun in weeks!_

_On another note, I learned from my last chapter how important editing and rereading is. I made sure to read over and edit this chapter A LOT. I'm thinking my goal will be a chapter a week? Of course, that's being very hopeful._

_Ugh, I never wanted to be one of those writers with Author's Notes that are really long, yet here I am. Thanks for reading!_


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